I keep hearing that it varies anywhere from $5,000 to $15,000 per year depending on the amount of travel and how many family members attend the tournaments. What happens to the players who could be able to play at the AAA level who's parents can not afford the cost of doing so? The promise of scholarship funds have not come through in the past (STL Elite) last year and can only expect the same in the future. Should the player skip tryouts and explore CS at Affton or Chesterfield? Or stay with their original organization at the AA level.

5-15 sounds like the right range to me, but 15 sounds a bit on the high end. It just depends on the amount of travel, fundraisers and sponsorship of the team. First year cost for us last year was $6000 which included fees and all travel expenses. Not inexpensive.

true cost, not including offset from fundraising, baseline would be $8,000 for the 96 team if all expense in including PW quebec and National, $10,000 is about right.

The true cost is 20 days of missed school. But you may get some extra study halls with coach.

it just depends on the team ,how much travel,if your in a league or not

Do I understand this correctly?

$10-15K per year for 7 or 8 years just for a glimmer of hope for a hockey scholarship?

Why don't you just pay for your child's education?

15 is way high but you got the basic math right

its to have fun play at a high level of competition and keeps your kid out of trouble - thats it dont expect no more - if you cant afford that then you shouldnt play

ditto - kids college fund is one thing, what you do with your disposable income is another. my kid has had an opportunity to play at a high level, meet some great teammates and have some solid character building experiences. very few that play at a high level have grand illusions of a hockey scholarship- if it happens great, it is nothing more than a bonus/rebate.

How high would the level of competition be if kids from families with incomes at or below 95 percentile of U.S. household incomes could be included in this AAA "talent" pool too?

IMHO the size increase in the talent pool of true AAA talent would be marginally higher. Keep in mind that as it stands right now there are limited spots regardless of how many "elite" teams are offered.

Also, bear in mind that for a sport like hockey, having disposable income is a factor in developing an elite player. Survey the number of players playing at AAA or CS and you'll find that a majority of them spend time and resources developing their skills away from the team's organized practices.

The last and most important factor is whether the player has the desire to play at the highest level. Making this distinction between "desire" and "want" is what separates the best from the rest...and not what the parents "think" their player desire/want.

Hey that just gave me a great idea for the next ad campaign promoting the NHL, USA Hockey, and Missouri Hockey.

Hockey - faster and more exciting than polo and other sports of the wealthy elite. And where desire is measured in dollars and cents...as it should be.

Maybe we can get Total Hockey to sponsor it. Guaranteed to grow the sport.

it would be good if kids with desire/talent, but limited funding options, did have an opportunity to compete at the highest level of their ability. don't have the answer, but perhaps some organizatons would step up and sponsor or fundraisers specific for scholarship funding purposes. we find ways to afford the opportunity because our kid has the talent/desire, but i know that isnt always an option for some families....

You all have it wrong. You do not have to spend all that money ($5-15K) every year to have your kid play at "the highest level" as you keep calling AAA hockey. If this is "the highest level" then why do kids playing A hockey in Minnesota, North Dakota, etc., get college scholarships over those playing AAA? It is not the money spent but the time on the ice. And that time on the ice does not mean spending $5-15K every season to travel across North America to play AAA competition. Face it, ice time in the Midwest is over $250/hr and in the Northern states it is less than $100/hr and free at local outdoor rinks, ponds, lakes and rivers. If you have the disposable income (more dollars than sense) your kid plays AAA for the Jr. Blues. However, if you do not have the money to "keep up with the Jones" (or the McInnis, Tkachuks, etc) at AAA here in the Midwest, then your best bet is to just have your kid play AA or move North.

Let's make one thing very, very clear. If your kid is good enough to be a factor at AAA money is not a problem. I get so tired of people saying there are so many kids that could play AAA that are not because of money. What a load of bullshit. If you have that much game AAA will work with you. Lets also be clear about something else, unless you are in the top few of your birth year you are just gonna play club hockey somewhere and then the beer leagues. If you are a third line AAA player then you are interchangeable with many other kids.

re 9:45

What world are you living in? Money is a factor no matter how good your kid plays. With the cost of ice time at over $250/hr, the high cost of equipment, and the high cost of camps and clinics there is no way some kids can succeed. Life is not fair. If you do not have the money to spend and/or the time for fundraising then your kid will simply not play AAA no matter how good they are. AAA will work with you IF you have the money; otherwise, have fun playing AA or house.

True cost is your soul, your principles and your child's innocense

9:00am..............You forgot to include the MILF costs.

Maybe the Blues could actually be active in supporting the growth of hockey at all levels in St Louis. The financial support and involvement to get more kids to try the sport at the younger ages would really help to grow the sport. If there were more kids playing, then there would be plenty of kids to field strong AA and A level teams and feed the CS and AAA teams. It would be great to have clubs that could field strong AA teams. Not every family has the time,money or desire to "take it to the next level", but would like to have competitive teams when going to tournaments. Look at Chicago, Dallas and San Jose, very strong clubs with very competitive kids playing AA club hockey and look at the NHL franchise involvement in those cities, two which are not even typical hockey cities.

Come on Blues get involved and not just on your kid's AAA teams. Help build it from the ground up.

8:47 Nice post. Could not have said it better. Hockey is not a charity. No kid will play AAA if their family cannot afford the cost.

Looking from below (AA), the AAA team seems to have the best of the birth year, with a couple possible exceptions. But it seems odd the best players just happen to have families that can come up with the 10-12K per year. Have there ever been hardship cases or special arrangements?

If the majority of families could afford travel hockey [right now,< than 15% can afford it], more of the better athletes would compete for spots and, as such, most of our kids would be playing at least 1 level down. That's reality. So, all of us short, dumpy and unathletic dads should just sit back and enjoy the illusion that are kids are really good and, at the same time, save for Flo Valley!

1:58

Yes, there have been several players who have received varying degrees of financial aid. If your kid is really good, well to re phrase that a little better. If AAA coaching thinks your kid is really kid then money will not be the problem. Let me define terms here.

Really good means top two lines at his birth year. 3rd or fourth line there are many players that can be put in there and not so much help there. So IF your kid is good enough, as has been stated many many times, money is not the problem.

2:57- where do you get this vast array of knowledge about these topics? HTF would you know any of this and could you please give us just one example where a needy player with AAA skills got a subsidy? Just one.

Look guy, believe whatever you want. Your little fella is good enough to make it but AAA is just about those rich people. Just because you are ignorant of facts does not mean other people are. I know of people involved in subsidies at the 91, 92 and 93 birth years that have been helped over the years. No big deal. Oh and name a kid, just one that is not going to happen. Even if I did name one someone would come back and say THAT kid was a special circumstance. To that I agree and have seen with my own eyes, there are special circumstances.

If your kid is a SPECIAL hockey player, money is NOT a circumstance to keep him from playings. But that's cool, you kid is definitely good enough but those damn rich people make it unaffordable for you.

3:42- nice dodge but you are full of yourself and another substance. You have no credibility when you give us your expert advice while doing an impression of the Great and Almighty Wizard of Oz through an anonymous post.

Where did I ever say anything was just for rich folks? Pulled that right out of your super sized asshole didn't you?

Fine, don't name anybody, identify yourself and then you could become credible and just maybe we might believe that individuals don't pay their own way to play AAA hockey.

Do you believe in the tooth fairy also? I believe only when presented with facts and not some anon poster who wants people to believe he is all that and connected.

Believe whatever you want to believe. Makes no difference to me.

Believe that money is an issue. Whatever. Believe that AAA could be so much better if only more kids who may not be able to afford could afford to play.

didn't say any of those things, was responding to your proclamation that AAA assists those in need without offering any proof of that.

AAA does find a way for those who can't quite swing it. Have witnessed it. Sometimes, other well-off families pick up the bill, too.

My question to you is why do you care?

If your kid was good enough to play AAA you would know the answer to the question.

AAA does not let money stand in the way. If you child were involved you would know that.

How would you know that? Do they issue an announcement only to AAA families so they can come on here and proclaim it anonymously?

You are so funny. I get a laugh every time you post.

What is funny is how clueless you are.

What is the secret handshake? If I say pretty please will you clue us all in, I mean anonymously of course!

Pretty Please!

if your kid sucks he won't play - end of story some people just think little johnny is better than he is - it takes alot of work on and off the ice

To the guy who says money is not an issue. You have answered the question. I agree that if a player can play 1st line (don't know about 2nd) on AAA but can not afford it that there "may" be a special circumstance that will allow the money to be available. You also said that 3rd and 4th line players are interchangeable. So there is no way in hell they will provided financial assistance to those types of players. Therefore it is more than reasonable that there are players that are not playing because of financial reasons. If those players were placed on one of these high level teams and had the chance to play with and develop with the high end players it is possible for him to develop into a 1st or 2nd line player.

Have to agree with previous posters about money not being much of a factor. have been on both sides of the fence (club and AAA) for many years in and have to say that IN MOST CASES the best kids make it to AAA and the finances somehow get worked out. Making AAA free would do little to affect the rosters of the current AAA blues teams IN MOST CASES. The fact is that if there are better athletes not playing AAA it is because the kids have made the decision to be Baseball, Lacrosse, Soccer players, etc. If St. Louis was a hockey town (like Detroit) instead of a baseball town (like St. Louis) things might be different.

Also, don't throw rocks at the Blues for not pumping money into youth hockey; Do the Cardinals pump money into youth baseball? Do the Rams pump money into youth football? Bet not.

Now this debate is getting interesting.

So do you guys believe that if the old AB or Monsanto or General American or McDonell Douglas sponsored the AAA teams here like Compuware or Little Ceasars in Detroit and the funding went 100% to offset fees, i.e. scholarships, that the make up of the teams wouldn't be different??

Just asking.

Signed-
Jonathan Edwards

The Blues donated $80K last to learn to play programs.
http://www.hockeystopstl.com/88EIssue_files/Page1472.htm


I know there were guidelines and stipulations to be met to receive all the money, but I wonder how that has worked out for the clubs and did they get all the money they were promissed. Any word?

The secret handshake............I shake your hand, you look over my left shoulder at the awesome MILF I want you to see. Further information needed, please ask.

Blues did not donate any money. The 14Fund did which is run by the alumni and not part of the Blues orgainzation.

Unfortunately the Blues do very little for youth hockey. When compared to Dallas, Chicago and a few other cities they should be embarassed.

1:26 - good question, two observations:

1) Maybe more kids in other sports would come into hockey if they thought they could afford it but it would take years before any newbies would build the skill set to impact AAA ranks. Furthermore, I doubt that the amount of corporate sponsorship would be enough to make that big of a difference. Anyone know what the Detroit teams get? Someone told me once and as I recall it made a slight difference but no where near picking up the whole tab. I could be wrong...

2) Don't think corporate sponsorship would change the pecking order of the current talent pool (significantly). Everyone is pretty much where they should be IMO.

No names needed but any real stories of financial assistence?

If you need to keep asking about the cost, move along you can't afford it. You know what it costs to go on a hockey weekend trip out of town X it by 20.

Stick to LL baseball @$68/year.

To the first posters who provided some good answers to my question, thank you. To the rest, you have confirmed the negative arrogance at the AAA level which we choose to not have our potential player involved. If what I have read is correct, a player good enough to play on one of the top two lines will be called by AAA and "things" taken care of, if not, then it was not meant to be.

OK, I have heard enough and I have to chime in here. My kid is a 1st year AAA, plays on the top two lines. He went through all the normal channels (tryouts, camps) to make the team. There was no courtship or handouts from AAA. He worked hard and got recognized for his efforts. We sacrifice other things (new cars, cable, dinners out) to meet the cost of AAA, but we think it is worth it. All AAA kids are not rich and are not subsidized. I do not believe the top kids are getting a free or subsidized ride for AAA. But I would also support a scholarship program for kids who has parents that cannot afford AAA. It would make sense for the right kid and the right reasons.

You obviously are a poser and didn't get word of the secret handshake.